Another New Horse - It's Bo!

[Heinz_57]

Just got off the phone - he is continuing to improve, HR is down to 40, he finally laid down for a bit. he’s drinking and I’m not clear if he’s actually eating the mash but he must be - she said they are hoping he can go home tomorrow, they just want to make sure he’s doing good with eating first.

I asked if they had reported the reaction to the manufacturer yet and she said no. She also did not know offhand what vaccine/brand was used. I requested that she also ask about reimbursement when it is reported. She said she did not have experience reporting these kinds of things and was going to consult with their in house internal medicine vet if that’s ‘something the company they usually use does’. She also said I might have trouble arguing for reimbursement since he also had sedation and a dental that day.

Overall my confidence in the vet about this reporting/reimbursement situation isn’t high (definitely not as high as this vet bill is going to be…). Worst they can say is no, right?

[chestnutmarebeware]

@Heinz_57

She also said I might have trouble arguing for reimbursement since he also had sedation and a dental that day.

I think she missed the point where SHE’S supposed to advocate for you with the manufacturer.

[Rackonteur]

Still jingling and praying for Bo and for you.
Will do for the vet staff too – they are supposed to be working FOR you and WITH you.

I once had the care of a big chestnut boy who LOFFED peppermints. He would gobble one down and then lick the barn wall !

[ShenanAnna]

Jingles for Bo; glad he seems to be improving.

About brands: when I lived in brand land, they were quite simple. My horse’s was a stylized airplane that looked like a 4-leaf clover. A friend, whose last name was Mears, had a brand that was an M with little loops at the top that looked like ears. M ears.

[lenapesadie]

I’m glad he’s doing better but bummed he isn’t released today.

I’ll keep my fingers crossed that there’s a better update regarding reimbursement coming. I dunno how the process works with a vaxx reaction. When my dog had a breakthrough infection, the reimbursement was not quick. If I recall correctly I paid that initial bill and then the reimbursement got applied to her continuing treatment.

[Heinz_57]

@chestnutmarebeware

I think she missed the point where SHE’S supposed to advocate for you with the manufacturer.

I have a good friend who reminded me today that she went through a very similar scenario just a few years ago - horse got vaccinated and had a dental done same day, had a bad reaction to the vaccine. The manufacturer reimbursed her but not in full because of the dental/sedation. The only difference in our stories is that her horse reacted to a flu/rhino shot, not rabies.

I’m hopeful that when this vet consults with the more experienced vet, the experienced one will either take over the duty of reporting and advocating since they’ve done this before, or at least inspire some confidence and a more take-charge approach in this young vet. As long as it’s a vet from the clinic I doubt the manufacturer cares WHO makes the call, as long as they have the details of the vaccine and the case.

@lenapesadie I’m totally OK with it taking some time! I can cover the bills, I just want the ball rolling NOW because I know once the horse is no longer at the hospital it’s going to end up one of those administrative tasks that gets shuffled to the bottom of the stack. Once the clinic is paid and the horse is home and well, the only reason to assist me with this is customer retention.

[lenapesadie]

Agree that now is the time to start the reporting process!

I see that vaxx reactions can be a thing, but how would a manufacturer now if a batch of shots was “bad” unless people reported the adverse reactions!

I wonder if forwarding this clinic a copy of his previous vet visit info would help? Like see here, this horse got sedated not too long ago and didn’t end up in the hospital!

[hoopoe]

@Heinz_57

She also did not know offhand what vaccine/brand was used.

I assume this was a vet who works in the hospital and not ambulatory. You will probably get better info from the tech that manages ordering and stocking. Worth writing a card and asking them to give to that person, asking for help with details

When we gave rabies vaccine ( dog cat) we were required to give the owner a certificate which listed this info

[volvo_240]

@Heinz_57

As long as it’s a vet from the clinic I doubt the manufacturer cares WHO makes the call, as long as they have the details of the vaccine and the case.

Correct. And generally only needs to be a staff member who can read medical records to report. They won’t need to talk to a veterinary unless there were more complicated or nuanced medical issues. This sounds like a pretty straightforward vaccine reaction.

[Heinz_57]

@hoopoe

I assume this was a vet who works in the hospital and not ambulatory.

It’s not a huge hospital, just a clinic that has hospital and surgical facilities. I believe this vet also does routine care and has probably administered plenty of vaccinations. I was a bit surprised she wouldn’t know offhand what brand they use, but some people just don’t remember things like that.

@volvo_240 that is helpful, thank you. Hopefully the experienced vet she consults with will know the ropes and offer to handle it. Or something. If the manufacturer says no, I’m fine with that but it shouldn’t ruffle any feathers to ask.

[lenapesadie]

Surely if the manufacturer needs records the vet office folks can email them over! It shouldn’t be that hard to ask and document!

[Fiesta01]

With older horses, I prefer pulling titers before vaccinations. Maybe consider that for the future? Then, you and your vet can make an informed decision on what vaccinations he really needs and calculate the risk/benefit ratio.

Continued jingles for Bo and that you can bring him home tomorrow.

[findeight]

Not bashing vets here but…they do heavily depend on routine preventative care, some of which can be performed by owners at a fraction of the cost. And owners would know what vaccine brand and likely also batch/lot numbers.

If the vet OP talked to really didn’t know how to check the vaccine brand used and possibly even batch/lot numbers? Or was unwilling to look? Thats weird. All my horse vets over the years kept track and even my cat vets recorded all this info with the billing records as recently as last year. Some insurance companies might check this information to verify compliance with vaccine requirements and/or researching a claim.

This clinic must keep this information, maybe talk to the billing person??? Is there a Senior partner, head vet or owner vet?

Dunno about changing clinics, might be more of the same.

Maybe 4 years ago, my BO ( retired 20+ year vet tech) shared her friend, client in a Dressage barn, asked their vet to pull titers on her 20ish gelding still in full work. Vet refused, BO had a fit about one size fits all sizes, sexes and ages barn required vaccine protocols not being accepted without questions. Gal won the fight and titers showed no need for several of those routinely repeated over and over vaccines. I dropped Strangles with vet approval when horse was 22 or so and most of the rest around 26. Horse PTS just shy of 30 for totally unrelated reasons.

Vaccines are great, especially in busy barns with lots of transient horse traffic and for show horses. No question.

Not trying to send this thread down a different track here but maybe 20+ horses need more thought as far as vaccines go.

[Bluey]

For years now our vet bills have vaccines itemized and kind and lot number right there.
I thought that was any more standard practice.
They also wants us to feed any commercial rations out of bags, so if there is a question about diet or a sick horse that may have eaten something that didn’t agree with them, or even possibly contaminated, we have the bags to check exactly what we fed.
If the feed made horses sick, it can keep others from getting sick or even dying if they right away know about it.

[Paisley_Pony]

Lately, my DH and I have noticed a growing trend with some in the medical community (doctor, dentist, vet, etc…) to recommend procedures that aren’t technically necessary in order to pad their bottom line. My DH says now he hears “cha ching” every time his dentist recommends something new. I fully realize that this is not always the case - my nurse practitioner is a wonderful example of a caring professional - but making medical decisions is more difficult when you don’t know if you can trust the advice of the provider you’re consulting.

[findeight]

Like Bluey, yeah, my large and small animal vet bills, on paper or via text/ e mail, have always and still do include the information.

Out of respect for OP and Bo, who hopefully is on his way home as we type, this is worth discussion but on another thread. Maybe somebody would like to start it ? Don’t have time today but certainly could sneak in an experience based comment.

[Heinz_57]

HE GETS TO COME HOME TODAY!!

I just got off the phone with the vet. He is eating well (even the mash!) and acting like a ‘grumpy old man’ according to the vet. He will be on dex for several more days at home.

She was able to consult with their internal med specialist, who confirmed that the manufacturer does offer some reimbursement in these cases so they are going to get on that for me. The vax was IMRAB, which is a Boehringer Ingelheim product.

@Bluey I believe my previous invoices have at least listed the brand used, but this rabies shot did not get billed on my invoice for the routine appointment. When I called yesterday to let them know, they were going to add it to the ever-growing one for the emergency.

@findeight I am a bit stuck on clinics. Both the clinics I’ve used are highly regarded and have several very experienced more senior vets on staff, as well as several young associates fresh out of school/internship. I keep ending up working with the associates. Not to say young vets aren’t capable, but the experience that comes with decades of practice is invaluable in a lot of cases. They’ve picked up the tricks, the nuances, the outside-the-box stuff that isn’t textbook. Obviously they had to learn along the way on other client’s horses to get that experience, I’m just not sure I want to be that client!

I also have the option of going to Texas A&M, if I want to drive a bit farther.

I don’t mind the discussion of vaccines, clinic protocols, and whathaveyou. I’m going to pick Bo up this afternoon, at which point I’ll butt in here with as many pictures as you can stand.

[JBCool]

Yay! Can’t wait to see you, Bo! Still sending you hugs and jingles, buddy.

@Heinz_57 thank you for handling the thread detour with grace.

I agree with @findeight et al : let’s take the vaccine discussion elsewhere and get this thread back to “our” boy.

[Maythehorsebewithme]

[Displaced_Yankee]

Great news! Good Bo(y)!

So a thought…remember when you said that he was following you around and “trying to tell you something”? Maybe he was a still a little poozily feeling and the rabies vaccine tipped his body over the edge.

Either way, he sounds a little delicate about vax in general. But you wouldn’t know that until you vaccinated him.